The Lives We Live
by Broken Quill and Scattered Ink
Summary: A collection of lives that Ranma and Akane live through. Whether it be in an alternate universe, or a side story-line, or an insight to what has already occurred, these one-shots give a glimpse into the relationship between the engaged. RanKane
1. Inversion

**Inversion**

_**Broken Quill and Scattered Ink**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2, or its characters.**_

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"**Even liquid water can become ice; nature transforms all so quickly—we humans should be capable of change at an even faster rate." ~Anon.**

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"If you think that you can leave this place without my permission," Ranma snarled. "you've got another thing comin'."

Akane stared up with defiant brown orbs, refusing to back down. Her hands clenched white by her sides. "You don't own me, Ranma. I can do whatever I want without your say-so!"

"As a matter of fact," Ranma smirked, leaning his face closer to hers with a hard smirk. "I do own you. We're married, remember? I'm your husband."

"Marriage does not constitute possession." Akane whispered angrily.

Blood boiled in his ears, a sign that he was being defeated. And when Ranma could not find the words to counter hers—the fact that he was losing ate him—he resorted to physical violence. In a flash, he instantaneously grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her against the nearest wall. Akane fell backwards with a crash, not even given enough time to scream. He bounded after her like a madman, jumping atop of her, sitting upon her stomach, grabbing her wrists and forcefully pinning her to the ground.

"Ranma!" Akane gasped out, looking at the furious, intense, blue-fire gaze of her husband above her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I ain't gonna let you go to that idiot's house, do you hear me? No matter what it is that I have to do."

Akane lost her hold on defiance. Her panic level increased dramatically, and for a second, the insane thought that Ranma was going to kill her crept into her mind. She lost hold of calming her husband. And instead, remembered watching him in those hundreds of battles with enemies; she knew that he was capable of killing her in a matter of seconds if he wished.

For once, their roles were reversed. The usually angry Akane did not have any power over the submissive Ranma.

Her heart pounded. Perspiration formed on her forehead.

_So this is what fear feels like._

Ranma tightened his hold on her wrists, then leaned down, narrowed his eyes, grinned _hideously_ and whispered harshly: "You love Shinnosuke, don't you?"

Akane closed her eyes and turned her head away from him, to rid of this picture of her husband she had never seen before. She wanted to scream. But all she could muster was a weak: "Ranma, stop—"

"No!" Ranma raged, picking up her wrists and slamming them back into the ground with full, crushing force. "Tell me first! Admit that you love him! Tell me!"

Stupid tears began to form on the back of her closed eyelids; she could feel them. She shook her head vigorously from side to side, trying to stop the stinging sensation. Only when Ranma screamed did she realize that she had absently answered his question.

"You lie!" He roared, voice overpowering their quiet home. "Don't lay there and tell me that you don't love him! You do love him! You love him more than me!"

Akane was glad she had answered correctly. And when she heard his admittance of jealousy, the thought that she loved Shinnosuke more than Ranma, she was less afraid. She gathered the courage to open her eyes and stare into Ranma's hurt and angry ones.

"I do not love anyone more than you, Ranma." She whispered quietly, genuinely, from the heart. "Never would I find someone better than you."

There was a small, but sharp, intake of breath that Ranma took in. But instead of relief, defense covered his eyes. "Stop lying to me!" He gripped her wrists tighter, painfully, that Akane winced and doubted that blood was able to flow through her veins there.

"I'm not lying."

Ranma leaned close to her, positioning his lips over hers so that their mouths were touching. He rasped against her mouth angrily. "You are. You are lying to me. You're afraid I'll get angry if I knew the truth. So you lie. I hate it when you lie."

She whispered back: "When have I lied to you before, Ranma?"

"This must be the first lie. I can tell," Ranma pressed a forceful, painful kiss against his wife. He pulled away, his eyes enraged with almost madness. "You love him. He treats you better than I do. He smiles at you, makes you laugh, buys gifts for you, is willing to do anything for you, will eat your cooking without a second thought, always says nice things to you—"

Akane looked up at him with a sad smile. "But I married you, you idiot."

Ranma trembled down at her, eyes wavering. "But if you were given a choice—"

"I would still choose you over any other man in the world."

For reassurance, he leaned down and pressed another painful kiss. She kissed back warily, gently, tiredly. He pulled away again, loosening his hold on her wrists.

His madness melted away into insecured fear. Akane was dizzy from his emotions.

"You love him. Because he shows that he loves you."

Akane stared softly at him. "I do not."

And Ranma leaned down to kiss again.

"You do." He whispered quietly after pulling away.

"I do not."

Another searing kiss.

"Do."

"Never."

This time, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, staying there for quite a while and closing his eyes.

Akane closed her own, breathing gently against his neck.

He pulled away and looked down at her, dark eyes finding relief. "What have I done to you, Akane?"

"Nothing." Akane whispered up at him. "You only frightened me, is all."

And he bent down again, needing her.

….

It was morning again, and Akane was happy to find their old relationship returning. The only thing that bothered her was being too close to her husband; whenever they were too close, she found her heartbeat rising in fear.

She hated him touching her wrists. They bruised from last night, and she did not want him touching her.

Worst of all were his kisses. They no longer held the love in them like when they first met, but full of hunger and need and reassurance. The Ranma she married was too confident to feed off kisses. He never forced her to do anything she never wanted to do.

Akane slowly felt submission creeping into her personality; and she hated every bit of it.

Her thoughts were cut off by a gentle hand grabbing her wrist.

"Akane…" she felt a familiar chin rest on her shoulder, and a chest against her back.

"Hm?" she squeaked in alarm.

"There are bruises here." He stated matter-of-factly, turning her wrist over, bringing it to his lips, and kissing her sore pressure points.

"Yes, there are."

"Because of me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He whispered, never releasing her wrist. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"Ranma," Akane shivered uncomfortably. "Please stop this. All of it."

"Stop what?" he pressed a kiss to her cheek. A chuckle gurgled from his throat. "I can't stop loving you. That's impossible for me. I'd rather die."

"This isn't like you—"

"Why isn't it?" a dark tone laced his voice.

"Please, don't—"

He turned her around with massive force. Stared intently into her eyes, and Akane felt fear in the lumps of her throat.

"Don't what? Don't kiss you whenever I feel like it? Is it because Shinnosuke's are better?"

"No!" Akane closed her eyes and shouted. "I never said that!"

"That's what I'm hearing!"

"I told you that I'd never—"

"It's easy to lie!"

Akane shook her head vigorously. "This isn't fair! I never accuse you of anything when you leave to Ukyo's or Shampoo's!"

"Idiot. I'm not doing anything but eating at their places."

"_I__'__m_ not doing anything but eating at Shinnosuke's!"

Ranma pulled back his arm and shot it out at her, slamming his palm against her mouth so that she felt her head crack backwards before snapping back into normal position.

Tears trickled easily from the pain. She sobbed against his hand.

He leaned close. "Don't say his name. I hate when you speak his name in your voice. It disgusts me."

She mumbled against his hand. He released her.

"I…I never do anything at his house, Ranma—"

He slammed a kiss against her mouth. He pulled away, eyes half-lidded.

"That's better," he whispered. "hearing my name from your mouth is so much better."

….

She cried. She began to hate life, and feared Ranma whenever he walked into the house from training the children in the dojo.

It was one night several weeks later that he spoke to her, broken-spirited and wary.

"We've changed, Akane. I hate this; and I don't know how to fix it."

"Changed?" She acted innocent when she was unsure of doing anything else.

"Yes." He stared at the ceiling; his profile was so different. So calm. Akane relaxed a bit easier. "Why is that?"

"We're who we are," Akane answered simply. "We haven't changed."

And she knew that she was a liar. They had become two people, two strangers, strangled by this marriage. And Akane had no idea how to fix it.

"We haven't changed," she whispered again, more to herself than to Ranma.

"We are the same people that we were when we first married." One more time. Just for reassurance.

And they both nodded off to sleep, starting to believe their lie.

….

A/N: Just something to brush up on my writing skills. I am not planning to continue this, as it is clearly OOC, it was just a different view—role reversal of Ranma and Akane's usual fights, and taking Ranma's jealousy to a new level. Hope you enjoyed it, please review to help my writing improve!

Also, be on the lookout for the final installment of the long one-shot, "Sift Through the Mud" that will be out very soon. Around the same time, the first chapter to my "Ranma-cast-in-college" fic should be out, and I will be undergoing beginning my jail fanfic.

Lots of writing coming up! Hope you all enjoy the storytelling I love to give.

BQnSI


	2. Follow the Ten Foot Footprints

**Follow the 10-foot Footprints (Part I)**

Broken Quill and Scattered Ink

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

A/N: I'm back! I wanted to take a break from the seriousness of my Ranma fanfics so far, and write something a little more fun and light-hearted. This fic was initially just a one shot called "Inversion," but I ended up writing a couple more one-shots since then, and decided to open this up as a collection of my one-shots. So when I'm tired of working on my other fics, I will be using this as my outlet. It will definitely be updated more often than the others, so look out for this one! Enjoy!

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Five shirts, four pairs of pants.

The colors of the shirts and black pants became a blur as Ranma angrily wadded up the very few belongings and stuffed them into the bottom of his hiking backpack.

"Ranma, think about what you're doing," his father—currently human—was standing behind him, towering over him, babbling in an attempt to get some sense into his son. "this dojo will be yours once you marry Akane-kun. Why are you throwing it all away?"

He took note of his son visibly bristling at the name of his fiancée.

"I am _not_ staying here for no dojo!" his voice bellowed back, continuing to throw items into his pack. "And most _definitely_ ain't here for no stupid fiancées, either!"

Genma countered his loud son with demands, as usual. "I will _not_ have a son who disrespects his fiancée like that! Watch your mouth, Boy!"

"Pops, it ain't my fault that she stupidly fell in l-love—"

"Boy, calm down—"

"—with that stupid jungle-freak and just wanted to run off and go live with him forever!"

Ranma stood, securing his pack on his back. His eyes lit with determination, not so different to when he was mentally preparing himself for a fight.

"Well you know what I have to say? Good riddance to ya', if that's what she wants. I ain't goin' after her a second time to that freakish forest with those stupid huge animals. And she wants to go marry that moron? Go ahead. I ain't gonna be here to congratulate her. _Sorry_."

Ranma's footsteps were unsteady as he walked towards their door. Genma noticed that the confidence lining his voice did nothing in his physical display. The boy was practically a walking bundle of shaking nerves as he inched his way to the door of their bedroom.

Things have changed. Within these few weeks returning from Jusenkyo, everyone could see that the engaged couple of the Tendo house have been on edge around each other. They fought as usual, but with less ire. When news of marriage or any affection came up, the two no longer spoke nor denied it; no longer looked at each other in the face. Confused and lost over where they were or how to act around each other. Even Genma and Soun had shared their worries over their two engaged children over the Shoji board when all were at school.

But when it mattered most, the two displayed their care for one another. Akane became more protective over Ranma, and when one of his many fiancées came to ask Ranma for dates, Akane aided Ranma in his verbal refusal of them.

"_Shampoo, Ranma has said 'no'."_

And when Kuno came to the house looking for Akane after they had returned from China, Ranma was quick and agile, knocking out anyone who came within an inch of Akane's personal space.

_Not that those actions were much different than before the China trip…_

_Ranma always looked out for Akane, and took even more care to assure that other young men would come near her._

That's it!

A glint appeared on Genma's spectacles. "So you're saying that you are jealous, right Son?"

Ranma stopped at the door. He turned around slowly, red flames licking at his aura. "What?"

"Face it." Genma whispered, his mind turning to find ways to get his son to stay. To convince him that this will all blow over, because things always did in the Tendo household. "You're jealous of Akane-kun being with Shinnosuke."

"_Tch_." Ranma let out, narrowing his eyes. "I couldn't care less about who that Tomboy falls in love with."

The flames growing brighter around him said otherwise.

"And you really don't think that this is all out of character for Akane-kun, Ranma?" Genma continued, now that he had his son's attention. "If you aren't jealous, prove it. Go bring Akane-kun back from Ryugenzawa. Find out what is wrong with her."

Ranma turned back to the door. "Nice try, Pops. But I'm goin' on a trainin' trip. I ain't meddling in her crap anymore."

Ranma felt his heart lunge at the idea that right at this moment, Akane and that forgetful Shinnosuke were somewhere in the forest, together, probably eating her dinner and him praising her on her beauty, her cooking, her _name_—

Ranma nearly vomited. Then, a picture of Akane's face popped into his mind, and the bile rising in his throat disappeared. He remembered the bright smile that lined her face when she announced to the family that she was headed to Ryugenzawa to see Shinnosuke. Quickly, the vomit rose again.

He stood at the doorway, a hand on the thin paper shoji door. For once, what his father had said was true. Akane _was_ acting out of sorts this morning—he might say a bit _cuter_ than usual. Only a bit though.

And for her to go to that forest for a second time, without any strong man (save for Shinnosuke, of course, but that dolt was not as strong as Ranma) by her side, all alone with the huge animals…

Ranma felt a delayed heart-attack come. After Jusenkyo, he had always been watching over Akane, even in the safest activities she took part in. Why had he not felt this panic earlier, when she was leaving out their door, when she had started travelling down the road in front of the dojo?

His mind answered himself.

_You were so upset with Akane wanting to go to Ryugenzawa all of a sudden, that you shouted "who needs you, anyway, Tomboy?" and ran upstairs to sulk._

Ranma closed his eyes. _Shut up._

The panic overwhelmed him. He should not be standing here, wondering what he should do. The choice was already made. He had to go find her.

"Boy? Boy! Are you even listening to me?"

Ranma found himself on the ground, slapped over the head by his father.

"Pops! What didja do that—"

"You've been standing there for five minutes like a zombie! What are you thinking about doing, huh? Are you leaving to train or are you going to go save Akane-kun?"

Soun burst through the door, in tears, as expected. "Saotome, you know the answer!"

He turned to the brain-rot boy on the floor. "Son, you're going to save my daughter, aren't you? Aren't you? Just like last time, bring her home!"

Ranma looked at the fathers, silent. He wondered why that choice wasn't made in the first place.

_What kind of man runs away from his problems?_ He asked himself. _And clearly, it's expected of me to go save her. There's no thinkin' needed here._

"Boy, what kind of man runs away from his problems, anyway?" Genma shouted, grabbing hold of Ranma's collar. "Are you a man or not? If you are, go save Akane-kun!"

Ranma looked back with a small smile. "Just what I was thinkin', Pops."

...

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A/N: Working to get back into the swing of writing [I feel like I say that a lot].

Please review and make any comments you would like about this two-part one-shot! I'll be updating the next one soon!


	3. Her Needs and Mine

**Her Needs and Mine**

**Broken Quill and Scattered Ink**

**A/N: I do not own Ranma ½.**

…_.-….-…._

_Ranma, I'm going to have to ask you to leave._

_But Mom—_

_Please. For now._

…_.-….-…._

Akane Saotome awoke to an empty bed. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she blearily saw the clock read 2.15 am. Then, her hand fell to the empty spot beside her.

"Ranma?"

She threw on her robe and went down the stairs, seeing the dojo lights on.

…_.-….-…._

The rain must be leaking from the roof.

It _had _to be. He was _not _crying.

He let out a string of curses, furiously wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand, before thrusting himself roughly into the next kata. He forced his mind to focus on the swing of the kick, on the next throw of a punch.

It wasn't long before he crumbled to the ground on his knees, wasn't long until his gasps of exhaustion slowly morphed into small, inhibited sobs from the throat, to small whines. He covered his face from the dojo, the place of strength. He pushed his head to the floor, hiding his vulnerability from the world.

_This is so unmanly, _he thought wryly.

…_.-….-…._

There were very few times that Akane had witnessed Ranma cry. When she did, it was when he had lost his strength, or the time when she had eaten that Super Soba. He cried in the corner in a feeble position, pathetically. It was comedic. Akane never felt the need to be his shoulder to cry on. It was nothing that ate at his soul.

Then, at Jusenkyo. He had cried over her while holding her. When she woke up, he was crying above, and she was sure she had heard him say those three precious words.

And since then, they have married. She had never heard him say those words since. Ranma had tried, several times, but to no avail. And she learned to accept it. She would wait until he was ready. His actions spoke louder than his words, and she felt that he loved her. She, however, had matured, and was able to verbally speak about her feelings. She had probably told him that she loved him hundreds of times by now. And each time, he would stiffen, and his face would redden, and he would stutter, trying to say it back to her.

She had to admit that his attempts were cute.

But this. The way he was crying now, on the dojo floor, was different than all of the ways he had cried before. He was trying so hard to hide his sobs into the floor. Trying to hide his pain.

_Ranma…_

…_.-….-…._

It seemed out of nowhere, the silence gave birth to a ricketing noise that Ranma knew so well. The dojo door had been slid open. Hastily sitting up in what hopefully looked like the lotus stance of meditation, he brought his arm to his eyes to wipe the remaining tears. He willed himself to stop the sniffling and the heaving gasps that inflated and deflated his chest.

His nightmare came in a voice.

"Ranma?"

_Oh no. Akane._

He couldn't let her see him in this most vulnerable state. He, Ranma Saotome, could not be seen crying this way.

Her concern lilted her tone into a pretty decibel. "Ranma, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Gathering himself, he removed his arm that he knew his wife had seen wiping his eyes. He looked up at her, bending over a few centimeters in front of him, with the chocolate-colored irises that swirled with the weariness of being awake at such a late hour, and a mix with the gold-hint of worry. Ranma steeled his eyes; forced his strength to replace his prior weakness.

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep." He cursed his voice for the slight crack. "I thought I would work out a bit."

Not buying his answer, he watched his wife kneel in front of him. She took his hand that rested on his knee, and it was now, when he focused on it, that he realized his hands were shaking.

"Ranma," she started, her warmth pulsating and inviting, helping rid of the coldness Ranma felt earlier.

He grinned that grin of superiority that he knew she hated. "Hmph. Just had a stupid nightmare. Don't worry about it and go back to sleep, 'Kane." His voice came out rougher than intended.

_I don't want to talk about this with you. I don't need you to see me like this._

A ball of energy that was Akane flew at him, her arm leaving his only to wrap around his neck, and the other resting on the back of his head, protecting him from the eyes of the world that he was so afraid of in that moment.

"Akane, leggo, what're you—"

Her breath was warm in his ear.

She spoke in whispers. "Ranma, I have never seen you cry this way. Please let me help."

_How does she always know to say the things I need to hear from her?_

"Hmph." Was his instant reply. "Like I ever needed help from you, Tomboy,"

He wouldn't let her break him. His mother already had, and he did not need another important woman in his life have him wrapped around her finger. As if to keep up with his aggressive speak, he refrained from holding Akane as well, keeping his arms locked onto the dojo wooden boards as he held her weight from her hug.

Akane pulled away, much too soon for Ranma's taste, giving him an irritated frown.

"I was offering help because I'm worried about you, Ranma."

He fed off of her anger to fuel his own. Straightening to adapt a dominating stance, or as dominating as he could seated, he whispered harshly. "I didn't ask for you to worry about me, did I? I don't need any of that from you."

Akane narrowed her eyes. "Well excuse me for caring! I came out of my way to come and check on you—"

"I don't need that from you!" he repeated. He told himself that if he said it aloud many times, that it would become true. "I don't need you to worry about me! I don't need you to come check on me! I don't need anything! I don't need anyone! And I certainly don't need you!"

Akane widened her eyes. With a high-speed mood change, Ranma instantly ducked his head and shrunk submissively into the ground.

He didn't have to look up to know that tears were pooling in her beautiful eyes. He waited for the hit, or slap, or punch, that never came, but instead, heard her small, breaking voice.

"Well fine, then."

There was a ruffle of her nightgown, and padding footsteps that broke into a run up their staircase.

"Wait, Akane!" he stood in a delayed reaction and ran after her. Once he reached the staircase, he saw her at the top, fumbling with their doorknob with one hand, and the other holding her eye, catching tears. He took the stairs three steps at a time, and when he reached Akane, close enough to wrap his arms around her in apology, she disappeared behind their door and slammed it shut.

He heard the click of her locking him out of their room.

He pounded his fist against their door. "C'mon, Akane, let me in. I didn't…I didn't mean it…I—"

Ranma stopped abruptly when he heard her quiet sobs, muffled through the door. His pigtail animatedly lowered, and his shoulders slumped.

…_.-….-…._

_Please let the window be unlocked…_

Ranma watched from the outside, on the branch of a tree near the window, seeing his wife wrap herself in thick blankets, only making out tendrils of blue-black hair out of the blanket burrito she had turned herself into. Akane's form was shaking hard, and even from outside the closed window, he heard her sobs escalate into small, short, uncontrollable whines. He hated hearing her do that. He sighed, closed his eyes, and steeled his will before opening the window, and fluidly throwing his feet and body inside.

She sat up instantly, her eyes wide with fear and tears. When she recognized him, there was a slight look of relief. Then, a look of disappointment, and Ranma guessed that she was berating herself for not locking the window. Finally, there was a look of betrayal and of heartbreak—the worst look that Ranma could ever see painted on her face. This was the look he was used to seeing, especially when she caught him to be happening to be hugged by Shampoo, or when Ukyo shoved a piece of okonomiyaki into his mouth, or if Kodachi had been chasing him and for some odd reason, she had seen him at the moment the ribbons were wrapped around him and she had caught him in a hug. Akane had the best timing.

Yet, no matter what the situation, Ranma always hated that look on her. It was a sign of his failure, no longer as a fiancée, but now, as a husband. The feeling was something he almost couldn't bear.

Akane pulled away the sheets and swung her feet to the ground. She looked at the floor, and no longer could face him.

"You can sleep here," she whispered, the fire and ire of words no longer became a part of her vocabulary. Akane had become a mistress of coldness in this past year Ranma had been married to her. Her words no longer stung. It was her actions that he had to deal with nowadays.

"You sleep here," she repeated, standing. "I should sleep on the couch."

That was an action Ranma would not allow to happen. Selfishly, Ranma bolted towards her, grabbing her arm. "That's not fair! You know that—that I-I can't fall asleep w-without…you…next to me, Akane."

She turned towards him with angry eyes. "You don't need me, remember? I mean nothing to you!"

He held his grip tighter, at which Akane tried to pull away from him. "Akane, I didn't say that—"

"You meant it! If you can't even trust me enough to tell me what's bothering you, or why you were crying alone in the dojo, then what's the point of even being married?" She successfully pulled away and went towards the door of their room to leave. "If you can't trust your wife, and you don't need her, then divorce me, Ranma Saot—"

Ranma snapped. He wouldn't hear that. Couldn't. The thought of divorce never once entered his mind. To hear her ask for it…

…Ranma couldn't take it.

He tackled her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, then roughly threw her to the bed. She let out a yell of surprise, before he climbed on top of her, laying on her like a blanket, feet against her feet, stomach to stomach, chest to chest, and his head buried in her hair beside her face.

Akane felt his body shake.

The ire replaced with worry, and she whispered questioningly: "Ranma?"

After controlling his gasps, he began to speak, his voice muffled by her hair and the pillow he decided to bury his face into.

"Mother didn't want me," he started carefully. He took an intake of air. "why did I ever believe that you would?"

"Ranma?"

"You really want a divorce, don'tcha, 'Kane?" he said.

_Why wouldn't you? I'm a man who's not a man half of the time, I'm a freak, I ain't all that smart and don't bring in much money. If my own mother doesn't want me, I know you wouldn't either._

"No, Ranma, I—"

"You said!"

"I didn't mean it. I was angry. And I was worried." Then, a change in voice: "And whose fault do you think it was anyway? You yelled at me, and said that you didn't need me! How is any wife supposed to feel?!"

"I—I'm sorry," Ranma whispered. "Didn't mean it."

Then, he felt it.

A small, light kiss on the hair behind his ear. He stopped all of his shaking, all of his uncontrolled breathing, to open his eyes wide against the pillow, and to stiffen his entire body in surprise. Every action Akane took had him under her control.

"Ranma," she called out gently. "Why would you ever think that I didn't want you? I'm married to you, baka. Your mother, she does love you. She just is having a hard time understanding your situation. Give her some time."

Ranma only listened, giving no quips, desperately clinging onto her words.

"She loves you." Akane repeated, nuzzling her nose against his hair. "And I love you. You know that, don't you? That's why I'm so worried about you. I only want to help make you happy."

He faced her. Finally. He stared at her for a long while before answering. _How do you make me feel loved with just words?_

"I'm only happy when I'm with you, 'Kane." He stopped at her smile. Ranma wanted to say those three important words, just as Akane had so easily done. He needed to prove to her, even in the smallest moments, how lost he would be without her. That he loved her too. "And I…I—I. _Ugh._"

Akane giggled at his attempt, as she always did. "It's okay." Another assuring kiss, this time to his nose. "Don't hurt yourself. And don't say it until you are ready."

"But I want to say it…I just can't."

"It's okay."

He leaned down to look at her. _Why are you so understanding, so perfect, at the best times that I need you to be? _

"I do, though. A lot." Ranma whispered. _I love you a lot. _It was his turn to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I do too. And so does your mother. Give her time."

He sighed, then pressed his face to her pillow again. "Yeah."

Ranma pulled away, and found his spot beside Akane on the bed. He wrapped his arms around his wife, allowing sleep to take over. In Akane's imperfection, there was perfection. He wouldn't have it any other way. With her insight to him, it was as though Akane knew him better than he did.

He wondered if, with as much as she was giving into this marriage, was he doing nearly enough in return?

"You've asked me if…if I'm happy." He wondered aloud, without thinking.

He began to twiddle his thumbs over his face nervously. "Are you—are you, I mean…h-happy? With me?"

"Or course I am, Ranma." She hummed back, lulling to sleep. "I need only you to be happy."

He smiled in the darkness. Akane must be really tired to allow that uncharacteristically romantic statement. He turned to her to see her snoring fast asleep.

_Her needs and mine._

…_.-….-…._

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this. I'll add a second part to "Follow the Ten Foot Footprints" a bit later. I needed to write something in the meantime and came up with this.

-BQnSI


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